Catalog (283)

Fahr-Becker, Gabriele (ed.), The Art of East Asia, English edition, Koenemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Cologne, 1999, 2 vols., 406pp and 407pp. 12 ½ x 10 ¾ in. (32 x 27.8 cm). Hardcover with dust jacket, in slipcase.
In these volumes the arts and cultures are discussed, richly illustrated in color, of China, Indonesia and the Champa Kingdoms (vol. I) and of the Kingdom of the Khmer, Thailand, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Japan and Korea (vol. II). The focus of this book is clearly on China and Japan. Contributing authors are Sabine Hesemann, Michael Dunn, Gabriele Farh-Becker and Michaela Appel. The appendix includes Glossary of Chinese characters, Notes, Selective Bibliography, Picture Credits (vol. I) and Notes, Glossary, Index and Picture Credits (vol. II).
N.B. The German text edition came out in 1998.
Vol. I with minor traces of usage, vol. II. with dented corners at top. Case also with dented corner at top.

Eijer, Dieuwke, Kagamibuta, Mirrors of Japanese Life and Legend, The Baur Collection / Heinz Kaempfer Fund (Geneva / Leiden), 1994. 95 pages, numerous b/w and color illustrations. Extensive description of the history, materials, techniques of kagamibuta, its subject matter and kagamibuta makers, richly illustrated with excellent photos of pieces from the Baur Collection and from private collections. The appendix contains a list of kagamibuta makers with their signatures and biographic information.
New, in original shrink wrap.

Hobson, R.L., The wares of the Ming dynasty. Rutland/Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company 1962. With dust jacket and with card board slip case. 1st edn. Little tear in back of dust jacket, all in all in near new condition.
Book on ceramics and porcelain with 9 color plates, 50 b/w plates, hand drawn marks, etc.

Ho, Wai-kam, Sherman E. Lee, Laurence Sickman and Mar F. Wilson, Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting. The Collections of the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, and The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art (and Indiana University Press) 1980. Hardcover with dustjacket.
Some wear and tear to dustjackets.

Hejzlar, Josef. Chinese Watercolours. London: Octopus Press 1980. Hardcover with dustjacket. Text ca. 60 pp., bibliography and index, 115 color illustrations of paintings on 96 pp. (photographed by B. Forman). About the members of the Shanghai school from the 19th and 20th century and their works.
Pages slightly yellowed, but all in all in very good condition with very little wear on the dustjacket

Schuster, Felicia and Cecilia Wolseley, Vases of the sea. Far Eastern porcelain and other treasures. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1974. Hard cover binding with dust jacket.
Book on vases from China and from Japan made of porcelain, bronze, jade and cloisonne, and also a chapter on ivory and on lacquer. Numerous color illustrations.
Few unimportant traces of usage on the dust jacket, all in all in near new condition.

Dorrington-Ward, Carol (ed.), Fans from the east. New York: Debrett's Peerage Limited/The Viking Press 1978.
Hard cover binding with dust jacket.
Essays on fans in China (Julia Hutt), Japan (Joe Earle), Southeast Asia (Nancy Armstrong) an on Chinoiserie with 29 color plates and 79 b/w illustrations.
Dust jackets with minor abrasions (shelf wear) and covers slightly warped.

Large zushi of square shape with double doors. Outside black lacquer and bronze hard ware, finely engraved with meandering flowers, inside gold lacquer. Inside a sculpture of the deity Benten, or Benzaiten, in her appearance with eight arms. In her hands she holds sword, jewel, bow, halberd and wheel. Other attributes are missing. On her head she wears the typical crown with torii, referring to the island of Enoshima, where the big Benten shrine is. Behind the crown on her head, sits Ugajin, the serpent with human head, deity of good fortune. Benten sits on a double lotus base, behind her a small mandorla originally decorated with three flaming jewels, today one is missing. This type of Benten is called Uga Benzaiten. To her sides stand Bishamonten (one arm missing) and Daikoku. Gilt and black lacquered wood partly covered in soot. Crystal eyes. Some old breaks, and repairs (with the original pieces). Some lacquer chips and a few missing parts as described. Crack along Benten's lap (seam between the blocks). Generally good condition. Box with some modern repairs, some lacquer chips, crack in bottom (stable), all damages due to usage. H 21 ½ inches. Japan 18th century.

A similar, 8armed figure, without the presence of Bishamonten and Daikoku, can be found in the catalog 'Sacred Treasures of Mount Koya. The Art of Japanese Shingon Buddhism', Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2002, no. 39.

Tall zushi with wooden sculpture of Yakushi Nyorai standing on a high, double lotus base. In his left hand he holds a medicine jar, while his right hand is raised in mudra. Very simple, country style carving. Lotus base very well carved in wood, covered with gold lacquer. Figure is plain wood covered with soot patina. Names of the donors written in ink on the bottom of the case. Date unreadable. Edo period, mid 17th century, possibly earlier. Height of case 25 3/4 in. (65.8 cm). Figure in good condition. Case with clear traces of usage, however in very stable condition.

Kanban with the inscription Inari taiji goyo (great Inari shrine, your order). The sign may refer to a shop at the shrine grounds, selling things to be offered at the shrine or souvenirs, or to a shop that specifically make devotional objects to the order of this particular Inari shrine. Attached to a black patinated wooden board are a bell and rope and two small objects, covered in gold brocade. Forged iron handle at top.
Measurements: height at left 38 ½ in., height at right 38 ¼ in.; width at top 12 3/16 in., width at bottom 11 3/8 in.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Some worm damage, metal part of left ornament missing, otherwise good condition.

Wooden sculpture of Shichimen Daimyojin in sitting pose, one leg crossed over the other. She sits on the summit of mount Shichimen, her shoes by her side, holding a golden jewel in her left hand and another object, likely a key that is now missing. On the back in red lacquer an donation inscription with the date of Tenpo 7 (1836). Polychrome decorated wood with finish for protection of pigments, gilt metal crown, glass or crystal eyes. Japan, late Edo period.
Height 20 3/8 inches (51.9 cm).
Some cracks in the wood, flaking lacquer at the base, some cracks in the lacquer on the figure, stabilized with clear finish, all in all in stable condition.
Shichimen Daimyojin is the protectress of Minobu, the site of temple Kuonji, general quarters of the Nichiren sect and burial place of the founder of the sect. Mount Shichimen is south of Minobu.

Plain wooden sculpture of the deity Shichimen Daimyojin. She is sitting on the top of mount Shichimen, crossing her left leg over the right, holding a jewel in her left hand. She is positioned on a rectangular elevation, painted green on top and gilded over lacquer on the sides. Behind her a jewel decorated nimbus. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. Crown of gilded metal. On the back in black ink inscription reading ‘Nichiren’. On the bottom inscription in black ink, reading ‘Kaneda[mura], Hirono Naomasa’. On the bottom of the base an inscription in black ink reading: Koshu, Yashiro gun, Kaneda mura, Hirono Asajiro Naomasa. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height without base 7 ½ in. (18.8 cm).
Crack into at the front, sword missing, parts of crown missing, otherwise very good condition.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282.

Plain wooden sculpture of the founder of the Nichiren sect. He is sitting, holding both his hands with the palms up. He is positioned on a rectangular elevation, decorated with water whirls and gilded over lacquer on the sides. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. On the back in black ink inscription reading "Nichiren". On the bottom inscription in black ink, partly covered by paper. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height 4 11/16 in. (12.2 cm).
Crack into his left thigh, cracks in the back of his neck and in the upstanding part of his garment (back), partly filled in and stabilized. Part of left hand thumb missing.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282

Finely carved wooden figure of Gyochu Kishimojin, the hands folded together in prayer, standing on an upside down lotus leaf, positioned on a rocky base. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. The base and the lotus gilded over lacquer. Inscribed on back: Kishibojin, opening of the eyes, Nichiren. Inscribed in black ink on bottom of lotus leaf: Hirono Naomasa. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Height without base 7 ¼ in. (18.3 cm).
Left foot missing, left hand pinky finger broken, chip at left sleeve, few minor old chips at edges, basically good and stable condition.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282.

Shrine with the exquisite carving of the eleven headed Kannon, holding the vase with the flower in the left hand, a rosary in the right. Dark wood. The garment, finely carved with pleats and scarves, decorated in gold with flowers and geometric designs. On the crown 8 of the 11 heads (three missing), with individual faces. The accessories on the chest and the crown in gilded metal. Kannon is standing on a nine tiered base (six tiers hexagonal, three tiers, the lotus, are round). Excellent piece. Japan, Edo period, 18th century or earlier.
Case height 15 ¼ in. (39.5 cm).
Case: obvious traces of usage (lacquer rubbed and chipped on outside), repairs to the bottom, gold lacquer inside strongly rubbed and sooted, some flaking toward the bottom. Figure: Three heads on top missing, parts of crown and necklace missing, rosary broken off, the left foot broken and restored, tip of toe to right foot broken. Mandorla with some repairs, but basically complete. Some tiny chips to base. All in all very good and stable condition.

More photos of case on request.

Shrine with inside the figure of the bodhisattva Jizo. He sits on a lotus base, positioned on a rock, his left leg hanging down, the foot resting on a small lotus base. In his left hand he holds a sacred jewel, in the right he formerly held his staff. The rock is placed onto a six tiered hexagonal, elaborately decorated base. Inscription on back of case in ochre colored lacquer, indicating that inside is a sculpture of Jizo, that an offering of 6 to (108 liters ??) was made, that the name of the donator was Naga Nobumasa. Japan, Edo period, 17th/18th century.
Height of case: 14 inches (36.1 cm).
Case: lacquer chips at bottom plate (baring the underlying wood), partly touched up, some minor touch-ups at upper rim, lacquer dull. Basically in very good condition. Figure: lacquer cracks along the seams of the wood blocks (on the right side of his body), some minor lacquer chips and cracks, hardly visible and soot. Staff missing. Necklace broken, but more or less complete. All in all very good condition.

Japanese Buddhist scroll painting with the image of Amida raigo, the descent of Amida Buddha from the Western Paradise to earth. He comes down to transport the newly deceased devotee to the Western Paradise. In the middle Amida, to his right the bodhisattva Seishi, hands folded in prayer, to his left Kannon holding the lotus throne for transporting the deceased to Paradise. Rays of light surround Amida’s head. All three figures are standing on one green and one pink lotus, floating on white clouds. They are surrounded by a dark brown background. The outlines of the figures finely done in dark gray or black. Two inscriptions in gold in the lower part. Gilt copper hardware with engraved lotus decoration. Japan, 17th century.
Painted area: 31 7/8 x 14 ¾ in. (2 x 38 cm). Total length 59 ½ in. (152.5 cm).
Silk slightly rubbed, damaged or thin at places (all small spots, hardly visible), one crease to Buddha’s right shoulder, one crease to his right, portly cracked open. Mounting of later date. All in all very good condition.
Comes with kiribako (inscribed 'Sanzon raigo butsu' and 'Shuso daishi tengan ….’ (sect founder, great Buddhist teacher, eye drops, …) ; and with two authentication papers, dated Meiji 16 and Meiji 23(?). One of the authentications dates the painting into the Genbun period (1730s).

Rare pair of shrine guardians in the shape of foxes, both sitting on a two tiered elevation. The right one holds a moving jewel in its mouth, the left one a stick. Middle brown, dense wood with a beautiful patina where hands touched the backs and heads of the foxes and the bases. Red staining on inside of ears, inside the mouths, in nostrils. Crystal eyes. Bases made of the same wood. Bases inscribed: Hono, Osaka, shinshachu (in faith of mankind); Hokkinin (sponsors), Osaka, Minami Horie, jogo: one base with the name Umezaki Jisaburo, the other with the name Shimezaka Jihei. The bottoms of the bases signed in black ink: Sowajima … minami … Shitakawa Yasujiro chokoku (carved by Shitakawa Yasujiro). Japan, Meiji period.
Height with base: ca. 27 in. (ca. 70 cm), height base: ca. 9 ¾ in. (ca. 25 cm).
Fox with jewel: short crack at right hindpaw, cracks in the body that show less or worse, depending on temperature/humidity, few abrasion and chips at feet. Fox with stick: cracks in the body that show less or worse, depending on temperature/humidity, few abrasion and chips at feet, stick of later date. All in all very good condition.

Minami Horie is a district in Osaka, west of the quarter of Minami, where the bunraku, kabuki and no theaters are. The pieces must have been standing in front of a Shinto shrine that no longer exists today.